'Detroit' film provokes dialogue, raw reactions

A special screening of the film “Detroit” at the Emagine Theatre in Royal Oak Thursday drew mixed reactions from an audience that included many Detroit Mercy students and faculty.

Directed by Kathryn Bigelow, the film centers on Detroit’s 1967 race riot/rebellion, focusing on the Algiers Motel police brutality case.

Hosted by the university, the free screening was followed by an academic discussion led by Brenda Jones, Detroit City Council president.

The film was well received and a fruitful discussion followed the closing credits.

Those in attendance did not hold back when sharing their raw reactions to what they had just seen.

“It moved me and scared me,” said one audience member.

Touching on such subjects as racism and morality, another audience member said, “At a certain point, race does not matter. The blame (for the violence portrayed in the film) must be on humanity.”

President Jones said the film points to the need to learn and grow from the past.

“Films like this are important,” she said. “Not only do they inform those who were unaware of what happened – although it is stylized to fit a Hollywood standard – they also provide a platform with which to speak up for change.”